About Formica pallidefulva Latreille, 1802
Worker ants of Formica pallidefulva look very similar to worker ants of Formica incerta, but they have a glossier appearance. Very little pubescence grows on their mesosoma, and their gaster only has a sparse covering of short hairs. This ant species shows a very high amount of colour variation. Populations in the northern part of its range are deep brownish-black, while individuals in the southern part are bright coppery yellow. Various intermediate colour combinations appear in the central area of the species' range. A considerable degree of colour variation can even be seen among workers from a single colony, but none of these observed variations are considered taxonomically significant. Formica pallidefulva is distributed across eastern North America, ranging from southeastern Canada and the eastern United States westward to the Great Plains and the Rocky Mountain foothills that extend from Wyoming to New Mexico. It is a common species that occurs in a wide variety of habitats, including grassland, woodland, forest, rough ground, lawns, parks, and campuses.
